Thinking that they were facing the possibility of a dream and not reality, they believed that they were unconsciously living manipulated by deception. Socrates, in the “Allegory of the Cave”, is not any different from Descartes and Neo who felt attached to a mastermind that computed or manipulated what it wanted them to do and see. Socrates describes these beings attached to the walls of a cave having their legs and necks fettered from childhood unable to move their heads, but only seeing what they were set or allowed to see, shadows cast on the wall from the figures passing in front of the light behind and above them (Socrates, The
However, both works have some significant similarities in theme. In “The Allegory of the Cave", Plato describes a metaphor that compares the way we perceive and what truely is reality. The main idea behind this allegory is that everything we perceive are imperfect reflections of the true forms. In this story, Plato describes a cave in where prisoners are tied up and forced to look at a wall. The various meanings in the allegory can be seen in the beginning with the prisoners whom are confined within the darkness of the cave.
Groff 1 Kirstyn Groff Ms. Campbell Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” Response Questions 8/15 Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” Response Questions Q1: The cave in Plato’s allegory represents the reality we chain ourselves in. The chains being our inner selves fear of letting go of the reality we created. We allow the chains to hold us back because we don’t have the courage needed to free ourselves. We lock ourselves in the darkness of the cave that puts a blanket over our eyes to blind us from the light. The light at the end of the cave represents the good in life, the perfection in the world in front of us.
This philosophy contradicts with that of other philosophers, whose beliefs rest on the pursuit and building of knowledge. It can be concluded that other philosophers aspire to obtain as much knowledge as possible, while Socrates is in search of only the underlying truth. Knowledge is the common idea of The Apology and The Allegory of the Cave. The Allegory serves as a metaphor that illustrates the effects of knowledge on the human spirit. It begins with a group of people, trapped in a dark cave since birth.
Explain the analogy of the cave in Plato’s Republic The analogy of the cave is an idea put forward by Plato to represent the human condition. It is meant to represent how we perceive what is reality and what is not. The main point is that everything we see is merely a “shadow” of its ultimate form and that reality only exists in the world of forms. He represents this by showing a prisoners ascent into the real world. The analogy starts by imagining a group of prisoners that are chained in such a way that they can only see the cave wall in front of them.
First, Beatty is the type of person, who after learning the truth and reality returns to the unreality he was used to. This relates to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. The cave that Plato thought of was set up with prisoners chained up, facing a wall that projects shadows that originate from puppets behind the prisoners on a platform. Beneath the platform and behind the prisoners is an opening which leads into the real world. The essence of the philosophy is that a prisoner is let go into the real world with the knowledge they have, the puppets.
This also ties into Socrates’ “Allegory of the Cave”. In it, Socrates explains that if we are showed the same non-existent thing, we start to believe it. The people in the “Allegory of the Cave” are chained in a cave, facing a rock wall. The images presented on the wall are what they presume to be real. Without the proper teaching, they obviously believe what they see.
This shows the truth can become manipulated or clouded; what we see may not, in fact, be the truth. Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” and Frederick Douglass’s “Learning to Read and Write” both describe how people’s reality is based solely on what they see, and may be wrong. Socrates describes how prisoners in a cave know only the cave, not the world beyond the cave, and the society in which Douglass lives justifies slavery, a terrible institution. Socrates’ argument about the struggle to attain the truth and the benefits of doing so are illustrated in Douglass’ experiences. In Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” Socrates describes prisoners trapped inside a cave.
From the moment Andy found the stone in his cell could be easily chipped away he knew it was his way out of Shawshank and his way out to freedom. Even if his inmates didn't know it- they were giving him means for escaping by providing him with posters to conceal the secret tunnel Andy was slowly digging. “When Andy asked for Rita Hayworth I told him I could get her for him.” The Warden further helped to develop the ideas of freedom and secrets when he performs a surprise inspection in Andy's cell. He notices the wall sized, pin-up poster of Rita Hayworth, but mildly disapproves “...I suppose exceptions can be made.” and does not confiscate it. The posters enable Andy to hide the secret tunnel by day and dig a handful of stone each night without causing suspicion.
Franz Kafka once wrote that “All language is but a poor translation.” He meant that true meaning, true communication, cannot be conveyed through simple words alone. The idea of the inadequacy of plain text is most evident in Kafka’s short stories “The Judgment” and “In the Penal Colony”. Within those works, Kafka asserts that language is but a tool; in the hands of a simpleton, it will accomplish nothing. An expert however, can use language to share his thoughts in a manner as close to perfection as is possible with such a cumbersome instrument. The torture machine of the story “In the Penal Colony” is a symbol of the authority language has.